A/N: An Extra Big Thanks goes to BladesoftheValkyrie for actually taking the time to review and letting me know what you think. I really appreciate it! This chapter is for you. :)

Chapter 2:

A Long Seven Years

Not two seconds after he dragged a cringing Harry Potter out of Number 4, Privet Drive did Snape begin to doubt his hasty actions. True, he had managed to get the boy away from his abusive family, but he had no idea what to do with him now. The boy-who-lived-to-bemuse Severus would need a place to stay, school supplies, someone to look after him until school began… and someone to explain an entirely new world to him. Well, it had been Albus's decision that Harry stay with those horrible muggles, so it was only logical that he be held responsible for the boy now. His decision made, Snape quickly pulled Harry along with him to the edge of the wards, gave him a quick warning to hold on, and apparated to Hogsmeade.

***

Harry was sure he was dreaming. At first, the man who was now walking with him had been quite scary, but Harry was slowly growing used to his dark glower. After years of living with the Dursleys, he had learned to read body language very well since it had been vital to know when yelling might evolve into a more serious punishment. The dark man held himself stiffly and growled and yelled, but it did not mean that he was angry enough lock him in his cupboard. His abrupt movements seemed to be habitual and not a precursor to a smack across the back of his head. In fact, other than holding onto his arm a little too tightly at times, the dark man had not hurt him or said anything mean to him at all (although Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had not been so lucky).

However, Harry was not about to let his guard down around a stranger. While some people were inherently good and never hit or yelled, like his kindergarten teacher, Miss Weatherby, others were very fickle and could change on you in an instant, like his Aunt Petunia; she was mean most of the time and never stopped her husband when he got... ethusiastic, but sometimes she would sneak him extra food or give him medicine.

Harry thought he was prepared for anything the stranger might do, but even he didn't expect what happened next. Without any type of explanation, the man told him to hold on, and Harry's world turned topsy-turvy.

***

When the strange pressure faded, Harry felt his mind go blank. Whenever the Dursleys went shopping, Harry was always left with their neighbor, Mrs. Figg. Therefore, the only places he had seen outside of the house had been on the way to school, and nothing on that route looked anything like this.

It was too good to be true.

Right in front of him was one of the most colorful buildings he had ever seen. Inside of the window, things were whirling, whistling, and creating sparks and rainbow smoke. It was so busy that he could barely take a fraction of it in before the dark man was dragging him along again. The next building was almost as colorful, but not quite as loud. It seemed to be full of every kind of sweet imaginable and, somehow, a few of them even seemed to be moving by themselves. Harry had never seen Dudley bring sweets like these home before, but he knew that his parents bought him anything he wanted so he must have eaten it before they returned home.

The dark man was still dragging Harry along, though, so he turned his attention to the other stores they passed. While none were as colorful or exciting as the first two, they were all so different and new to him and he couldn't help but stare around him in obvious wonder until he was dragged past them.

After passing the stores, they continued to walk in the woods outside the town until a break in the trees allowed Harry his first real glimpse of a castle. The sight was absolutely breathtaking, and Harry stumbled to a stop for the first time since leaving the Dursleys' house. He knew his jaw was hanging open, but he couldn't help it; the sun was just starting to set, and the orange rays and flames from the torches were reflecting off of the lake nearby. Most of the dozens of windows were lit, and the overall effect was wonderfully welcoming. It was straight out of a fairy tale, and Harry would not have been surprised to learn that King Authur himself held court there.

The dark man then tugged his arm again to remind Harry that they were apparently on a mission of some sort, and Harry continued walking again (although he didn't remember to shut his mouth until after a bug had flown into it).

***

With every step he took away from the muggle-infested location known as Surrey, Snape grew more and more… apprehensive. Potter had not once uttered a single sound, not even after they had apparated. They were now walking through a wizarding village with store displays fairly reeking with magic, something Snape was now sure that the little cretin had never experienced before, and still the boy just looked around him with wide eyes. All of the little first-year muggleborns Snape had ever had the misfortune to meet would have been squealing about magic and asking dozens of questions by this point (the most often repeated being, "Can we go into the sweets store now?" closely followed by the infamous, "Why not?" and a sulky pre-teen).

Snape simply supposed it would be one more thing to report to the Headmaster, and for Minerva to rant about, as well. It was going to be a long month… or, more accurately, a long seven years.

***

A/N: Sorry this is such a short chapter. I had more written at the bottom, but it was more of a generalization of what happened and I decided that the scene required more detail. I took it out and wrote the next chapter (which is also, sadly, somewhat short, due to fact that it just seemed like good stopping point and I need to stop going over these chapters a million times or they'll never get posted). Thanks for reading!